Reflection

The most striking eye-opener that I had about the teaching of literacy skills to my students is that it is possible with the little ones. A common stereotype about kindergarten is that we read and play blocks all day. That is not the case now days. We have a very strict curriculum that requires our students to pass a comprehensive list of standards by the end of the school year. A lot of people, including long-time teachers think that 5 and 6 year-olds are incapable of learning how to use technology. After taking this course, I am fully aware that my students can learn these skills with proper guidance. I leave this course taking with me the skills to teach these strategies to my students and other ways to incorporate technology into my classroom. I have learned that it does not take a lot of money and that I am fully capable of teaching these new literacy skills with the tools provided in my classroom and schoolhouse.
My main professional development goal is to bring these skills back to my school and help other teachers learn ways to incorporate technology into their classroom. It is important to challenge our students and this is the perfect way. I now have the strong desire to incorporate new literacy skills into my classroom and help teachers improve their teaching as well. I have loved hearing the stories from my classmates and learning how they use technology in their own classrooms. I feel that sharing these ideas is the best way to learn and grow as a teacher.